It takes a special company to carry through a long-term commitment to monitor and manage its social, environmental and financial impacts of conducting business. Grounds for Change is a family owned and operated coffee roasting business located in the Pacific Northwest. Grounds for Change roasts 100% Fair Trade, Organic coffee in small batches to ensure that you receive the freshest coffee possible, while remaining committed to social justice and environmental stewardship.

In 2008, Grounds for Change helped Carbonfund.org pioneer the Certified Carbonfree® Products program by completing a thorough “cradle-to-grave” Life Cycle Assessment and Greenhouse Gases inventory report for its roasted coffees. It is a program that fits with Grounds for Change’s overall mission to achieve the highest possible standards in quality, fairness and responsibility throughout its operation and in each product it produces.

By measuring the carbon footprint associated with each pound of roasted coffee, then neutralizing those carbon emissions through quarterly donations to Carbonfund.org, supporting reforestation and avoided deforestation projects around the world, Grounds for Change offers a truly carbon neutral roasted coffee to environmentally conscious consumers.

The company’s commitment to carbon offsetting goes far beyond its coffee roasting operations. Every step in the coffee chain has been scrutinized, from a coffee plant in Peru all the way to a bag of roasted coffee in the customer’s hands. The details of harvest, transportation, roasting, packaging and shipping to customers have all been included in the rigorous carbon footprint analysis.

Grounds for Change focuses on operating as a green business and has received a Washington award for Outstanding Achievement in Sustainability. As a member of 1% for the Planet, Grounds for Change donates well over 1% of total annual sales to various environmental organizations, including Carbonfund.org. In addition to offering 100% Fair Trade and Organic Certified coffee, most Grounds for Change coffees are shade grown, which means the possibility of a real livelihood for coffee growers, a breath of fresh air for the planet, zero net carbon emissions from crop to cup and healthy forests for migratory songbirds.

This holiday season, Grounds for Change is offering sales on coffee gift baskets, special winter seasonal coffee blends, and their Coffee of the Month club. With their commitments to Fair Trade, Organic and Carbonfree® Certified coffees, Grounds for Change offers premier choices for environmentally-savvy coffee connoisseurs.

Seven years into its long-term commitment to environmental leadership, MWW is achieving great things towards its goal to do its part to make the world a better place. MWW, one of the nation's top mid-sized public relations firms and one of the ten largest independent agencies, is recognized for its work in consumer lifestyle marketing, digital marketing and social media, corporate communications, and visual branding.

“Our work in corporate social responsibility and corporate citizenship is some of the most important we do,” emphasizes Michael Kempner, MWW President and CEO. “MWW remains firmly committed to doing our part to protect and preserve the environment, and we are pleased to continue our seven-year partnership with Carbonfund.org, a leader in carbon reduction and offset solutions. We challenge our peers in the industry, as well as our clients and partners, to join with us in this important work, or to adopt their own programs to help bring about a clean energy economy.”

Employees at MWW give back through Good Matters, a company-wide Corporate Social Responsibility program, which enables employees to support local charities and other causes that are close to their hearts. Each year, team members can take advantage of eight hours of paid time off to volunteer for an organization of their choice. These collective efforts have defined MWW’s commitment to corporate citizenship, for the environment, community, employees, and their clients. Carbonfund.org is proud to partner with MWW in helping to make the world a better, cleaner place to live.